Journal Broadcast Group, owners of WTMJ-AM (620) and WTMJ-TV (Channel 4), is partner in an awards event for conservative women.

The committee to choose the winner of what is being called the Right Women Awards, was announced Thursday on Charlie Sykes' WTMJ-AM show by Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.

The awards - named after Margaret Thatcher - are aproject of Right Wisconsin, Sykes' website and a digital initiative of Journal Broadcast Group.

The announcement for the event was on JBG letterhead.

JBG has described its involvement in Right Wisconsin and the expansion of Sykes’ brand as a business decision.

Sykes is celebrating his 20th anniversary at the station.

His politically conservative talk show is just one building block in WTMJ's mix of sports, weather, traffic, news and talk, said Steve Wexler, JBG vice president of radio and television, when the digital initiative was announced last fall.

But can Sykes' politics and the public perception of the station as a news gatherer really be separated? For many listeners, the Sykes show is the face of the station, which some dismiss as WGOP.

While the stations' newscasts are objective, having a political initiative as part of a digital platform that also includes its news websites - and apps for the Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers - suggests the wall between politics and programming is porous.

The awards are intended to “identify and salute” state female leaders and role models “whose contributions ... have impacted or altered history,” Kleefisch said in the release.

They will be “a beacon for Wisconsin conservatives, something for conservative women to aspire to, a celebration of achievement and a call to action.”

The 18 conservative women on the committee include state Sen. Leah Vukmir; Beloit businesswoman Diane Hendricks; Barbara Lyons, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life; Meg Ellefson, founder of the Wausau Tea Party; and Public Service Commissioner Ellen Nowak.

The awards ceremony is a ticketed, black-tie event. It will take place Oct. 18 at the Pfister Hotel. The honorary chair for the event is Wisconsin first lady Tonette Walker.

The Journal Broadcast Group is owned by Journal Communications, which owns the Journal Sentinel.

About Duane Dudek

Duane Dudek is a reporter and columnist covering radio and television. He also reviews movies.